Record Numbers Seeking Emergency Food Bank Support

A charity has reported record numbers of people receiving emergency food from its foodbanks across the UK in the last six months.

The Trussell Trust said its network had fed almost 110,000 people since April, compared with a total of 128,697 people during the whole of the financial year 2011/12.

The Trussell Trust believes more people will seek help if food and fuel bills rise

The trust said that it is on course to feed 200,000 people in 2012/13 as increasing numbers of people are turning to the charity amid rising food and fuel costs combined with static incomes and high unemployment.

The figures were released on the same day that it was revealed that consumer prices index (CPI) inflation hit its lowest level in nearly three years in September.

However, experts predict that soaring energy bills and rising food and petrol costs will send inflation back up again in the coming months, ramping up the pressure on households.

The charity, which provides three days' worth of emergency food to people in the UK who are at crisis point, warned that the recent string of energy price hikes announced by providers in recent days could mean it sees more people turning to it for help.

Trussell Trust executive chairman Chris Mould said: "Day in, day out, foodbanks already meet UK parents who are going without food to feed their children, or are forced to consider stealing to stop their children going to bed hungry.

"Further rises in food and fuel bills could see even more people in crisis turn to foodbanks."

The charity, which runs a network of 270 food banks across the UK, released its figures to coincide with World Food Day.